Eastman to hike tertiary amines capacity in Belgium

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Eastman Chemical (Kingsport, Tennessee) says it will make a “major investment” to expand production capacity for tertiary amines at its facility in Ghent, Belgium, by the end of 2021, said Chemweek.

The specific size of the capacity hike and the investment value has not been given. The company is also considering further investments at its tertiary amines unit at Pace, Florida, where it has already significantly increased capacity, making it the largest such unit in the world, it says. The investment to “significantly increase” capacity at Ghent is being made to help customers meet the need for hand sanitizers, wipes, sprays, liquid dish soap, and other household cleaning products, according to Eastman.

Eastman will continue to invest in tertiary amines if its customers support its expansions, says Bob Ash, product director/care chemicals at Eastman. "We appreciate their patience as we complete the work. In the meantime, our units are running at a high level," he says.

Tertiary amines are key raw materials for surfactants used in a wide variety of industrial, personal and home care markets.

As MRC informed previously, Air Liquide plans to invest over USD160 million in new capacity and upgrades to support a long-term agreement under which the company will supply additional gaseous oxygen, nitrogen, and syngas to Eastman Chemical’s Longview, Texas, facility.

We remind that in 2016, Eastman Chemical's chief executive Mark Costa announced that the company wanted to reduce its surplus ethylene and commodity intermediates, but did not intend to sell its cracker in Longview, Texas.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC"s ScanPlast report, Russia"s estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high denstiy polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 880,130 tonnes in the nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports, exluding producers" inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.

Eastman is a global specialty chemical company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With a portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. Its market-driven approaches take advantage of world-class technology platforms and leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction and consumables. Eastman focuses on creating consistent, superior value for all stakeholders. As a globally diverse company, Eastman serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA and employs approximately 14,500 people around the world.
MRC

Chinese INE considers Singapore for marine fuel futures delivery

Chinese INE considers Singapore for marine fuel futures delivery

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) is considering using oil storage sites in Singapore owned by PetroChina Co as a delivery point for its low-sulphur fuel oil futures contract, reproted Reuters with reference to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The INE's move would be the first time a Chinese futures contract would be deliverable outside of China and could boost liquidity for the contract, as well as help to influence pricing for shipping fuel.

Low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) is required as ship fuel to meet new maritime emissions regulations that went into effect this year. Singapore is the world's biggest ship-fueling port.

The INE posted a notice on its website seeking market feedback on allowing LSFO futures contract buyers to take deliveries outside China, but did not give a location or a start date for the change.

However, Singapore could be used as a delivery point for the LSFO contract before the end of the year, the two sources said.

"The new plan gives traders, especially those large bunker fuel players in Singapore, greater flexibility to take deliveries as they see more economic and convenient, versus say Zhoushan (in China)," said one of the sources.

PetroChina International, a unit of PetroChina, was Singapore's top marine fuel supplier in 2019. The company owns a 25% stake in Singapore's Universal Terminal oil storage site at Jurong Island in the island city-state's southwest.

An INE spokesman declined to comment on the matter. PetroChina and Singapore's Maritime Port Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The INE's yuan-denominated LSFO contract has traded 4.9 million lots through October since it started up in June, or about 320 million barrels, the exchange said.

The INE and China aim to grow the contract, for fuel oil with a sulphur content of 0.5%, into an Asian benchmark for the ship fuel. The current benchmarks are for cargoes sold in Singapore.

As MRC informed before, state-owned PetroChina plans to spend about Yuan 10 billion (USD1.49 billion) annually in the next five years for low carbon emission transitions as part of the company"s effort to meet Beijing"s call for carbon neutrality by 2060, according to the statment of Wei Fang, Assistant Secretary to the Board & Head of Investor Relations, during the company"s Q3 result briefing. PetroChina, China"s top integrated giant, had produced 4.43 million boe/d of oil and gas in January-September. Wei said the company targets to achieve near zero emission by 2050 and is currently drafting the new green and low carbon development plan in line with PetroChina"s 14th Five-Year Plan for 2021-25.

We remind that PetroChina has nearly doubled the amount of Russian crude being processed at its refinery in Dalian, the company's biggest, since January 2018, as a new supply agreement had come into effect. The Dalian Petrochemical Corp, located in the northeast port city of Dalian, was expected to process 13 million tonnes, or 260,000 bpd of Russian pipeline crude in 2018, up by about 85 to 90 percent from the previous year's level. Dalian has the capacity to process about 410,000 bpd of crude. The increase follows an agreement worked out between the Russian and Chinese governments under which Russia's top oil producer Rosneft was to supply 30 million tonnes of ESPO Blend crude to PetroChina in 2018, or about 600,000 bpd. That would have represented an increase of 50 percent over 2017 volumes.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high denstiy polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 880,130 tonnes in the nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports, excluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.

PetroChina Company Limited, is a Chinese oil and gas company and is the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, headquartered in Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is China"s biggest oil producer.
MRC

TechnipFMC receives notice to proceed with EPC contract for LNG facility

MOSCOW (MRC) -- TechnipFMC has received a Notice to Proceed for a major EPC contract by Sempra LNG and Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S.A.B. de C.V. (IEnova) at their Energia Costa Azul (ECA) LNG facility in Baja California, Mexico, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The project will add a natural gas liquefaction facility with nameplate capacity of 3.25 MMtpy to the existing regasification terminal using a compact and high efficiency mid-scale LNG design.

This addition will allow for natural gas liquefaction and LNG export capability at the ECA LNG facility, which has been operating as a regasification terminal since 2008. ECA LNG is one of Sempra LNG’s strategically located natural gas liquefaction infrastructure projects currently in development in North America.

TechnipFMC has been involved in this project since 2017, including the delivery of the FEED.

Arnaud Pieton, President of Technip Energies, stated: “We are very pleased to have been selected by Sempra LNG and IEnova for this strategic development. This project is fully aligned with our selective approach through very early stage involvement. We look forward to bringing our global project execution capabilities and our extensive LNG track record to this exciting project. LNG plays a major role in the energy transition, and we are proud to leverage our expertise to support this journey.”

As MRC wrote previously, in October 2020, TechnipFMC said it had been awarded a contract by Shell to supply eight new ethylene furnaces at the Moerdijk petrochemicals complex in the Netherlands. The contract is described as “significant” by TechnipFMC, a term it uses to cover value between USD75 million and USD250 million.

Ethylene is the main feedstock for the production of polyethylene (PE).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high denstiy polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased.
MRC

Braskem, Dow Europe, Royal DSM emerge on top at Chemical Week sustainability awards

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The winners of Chemical Week’s inaugural Sustainability Awards, a virtual event that honors the chemical industry’s best sustainability efforts, have just been announced. The judging panel - comprising 13 judges with a variety of experience from companies across the chemical industry value chain, including Chemical Week editors, and IHS Markit experts - selected the winners from 75 submissions by nearly 40 companies, reported Chemweek.

“As the industry faces critical times, supplying products fighting Covid-19 - from advanced materials to healthcare ingredients, Chemical Week’s team thought it imperative to recognize the important work companies are doing building towards a more sustainable future,” said Lyn Tattum, IHS Markit vice president and publisher of Chemical Week. “Each category received compelling applications, with the Best Sustainable Product category generating particular interest.”

“Going through the entries, judges came across exceptional examples of how companies are incorporating sustainability into operations, product development, and strategic planning, underscoring the importance of the topic for the industry’s future,” she said.

Braskem SA, Dow Europe GmbH, and Royal DSM are the winners in the three categories at the Sustainability Awards 2020:

- Best Sustainable Product - recognizing sustainable products that have the most meaningful impact on environmental or sustainability performance;

Winner: Dow Europe GmbH for its RENUVA Mattress Recycling Program, which seeks to reduce waste by giving polyurethane (PU) foam from end-of-life mattresses a new life and enabling a circular economy for polyurethanes.

- Best Sustainable Initiative - for chemical makers publishing a sustainability or ESG report, recognizing the overall quality of sustainability-related metrics, overall impact of sustainability and environmental factors, social and governance metrics, transparency, and disclosure.

Winner: Braskem for its biobased sugarcane polymer production, which captures carbon dioxide (CO2) and contributes to reducing CO2 emissions. Braskem is the largest producer of biopolymers worldwide.

- Best Sustainable Program – recognizing sustainability initiatives that have the most meaningful impact on sustainability or ESG performance

Winner: Royal DSM for weaving sustainability and circularity into its corporate DNA via its product portfolio and corporate strategy. DSM Resins & Functional Materials (DSM R&FM) has replaced ‘Chemicals of Concern’ in its production while developing new sustainable technologies such as water-based, powder-, plant-based, and UV technologies. DSM R&FM also divested its solvent business to underline its commitment.

The Sustainability Awards 2020 forms part of Chemical Week’s Chemical Industry Financial Outlook & Sustainability Forum, an online event looking at the financial, operating, and strategic challenges the industry will face in the year ahead, focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.

As MRC reported previously, Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem's 450,000 mt/year PP plant in LaPorte, Texas, along the Houston Ship Channel completed its initial commercial production, as per the company's statement as of Sept. 10. "The launch of commercial production at our new world-class PP production line in La Porte clearly affirms Braskem's position as the North American polypropylene market leader," Braskem America CEO Mark Nikolich said in a statement. With a USD750 million investment, the new PP plant's construction started in October 2017 and was completed in June, 2020.

We remind that production at Braskem's new PP plant in the US was at 36,000 tonnes in October, close to the monthly production capacity of the plant of around 38,000 tonnes.

Braskem operates five other US PP plants in Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with a cumulative capacity of 1.57 million mt/year that the company acquired. The new plant in La Porte, Texas, is Braskem America's first PP new build.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 880,130 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports, excluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.
MRC

Amcor recognized as ESG industry leader by MSCI ESG

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Amcor has retained the highest sustainability rating in the packaging sector and the second highest score possible from MSCI ESG, said the company.

In 2020, Amcor a leading packaging company received a rating of AA in the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment. This rating is the highest in the packaging industry and is the second highest rating available. 2020 is the 4th year in a row that Amcor has achieved an AA rating - MSCI describes AA rated companies as ‘a company leading its industry in managing the most significant ESG risks and opportunities’.

This rating is announced following the release of Amcor’s Sustainability Report and Sustainability Review both of which outline progress towards the company’s 2025 commitment to make all of its packaging recyclable or reusable and which track progress against a range of other metrics including use of recycled content and CO2 reductions.

Amcor’s AA rating is supported by the company’s investment in research and development to enable innovations in designed-to-be-recycled packaging and by its efforts to reduce environmental impact throughout the business. This rating recognizes the ongoing integration of sustainability into Amcor’s business and is a tribute to Amcor’s ongoing success in managing its ESG risks and opportunities.

David Clark, Vice President for Sustainability at Amcor said: “We are proud and pleased that Amcor’s industry leading efforts on sustainability have been recognized by MSCI. Our AA rating reflects the integration of sustainability into Amcor’s business from our innovation priorities to our supply chain to our management of our factories and plants. Investors can be confident that Amcor are managing our ESG risks and opportunities, and we are pioneering progress in the packaging sector."

Amcor reports on its sustainability metrics in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards: Core option and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Containers & Packaging Sustainability Accounting Standard version 2018-10. This is the ninth year that Amcor has reported in accordance with GRI and the first year it has reported using the SASB Standards.

As MRC informed earlier, Amcor PET bottlesAmcor has recently announced that it has designed the first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles for pasteurized beer in Brazil. The company has used its leading-edge design technology to develop these bottles. Amcor has custom-designed 600-milliliter containers for beverage maker, New Age Bebidas of Leme in Sao Paulo. The bottles feature the beauty of a glass-like and champagne-style base combined with the convenience of lightweight and shatter-resistant PET.

As per MRC' ScanPlast, calculated consumption of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) reached 52,71o tonnes in September 2020, down 27% compared to the same time a year before. Total consumption of PET in Russia in the nine months of 2020 reached 530,750 tonnes, down 22% than the same indicator last year.

Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products differentiate brands, besides improving value chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging including specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly light-weighted, recyclable and reusable, and is made by using a rising amount of recycled content. Presently, Amcor has operations at 250 locations in 40-plus countries.

MRC